Five reasons gold will hit an all-time record this year

Bullion enthusiasts seem to have come back to life after a recent survey among analysts showed a majority believes gold is finally and steadily moving up.

Aubie Baltin, from 24hgold.com, is the latest one of them to say gold will finish 2013 up, at around $1,880.

At those levels, the expert writes, gold prices would begin 2014 just shy of the all-time high set last year, close to the $1,900 mark, due to five reasons:

1) The Feverish Growth of Fiat Money: The USA, Europe, China and most of the developed world is printing money much faster than the amount of new gold being mined or discovered. Runaway money printing presses are always bullish for gold.

2) The Feverish Demand For Gold: As central banks continue to print, individuals are continuing to relentlessly buy gold, especially in the world's two most populous nations, China and India, which in 2002 accounted for 23% of world gold demand. Today, just these two nations alone make up nearly half of all demand at 47%. This is just the beginning. Meanwhile, less than 2% of all investment funds are invested in gold. Does that sound like gold is in a bubble?

3) Even Central Banks Have Begun Buying: Central banks, especially RUSSIA and China as well as the developing nations’ Central Banks are buying and hoarding gold at a record pace. It is my belief that China will drastically expand its gold buying year after year on a cumulative basis in an effort to accumulate enough Gold to back the Yuan by at least 25% to 50% with gold in their effort to replace the US $ as the world’s reserve currency.

4) High Demand Meets Short Supply: The other side of the equation is supply. The gold mining industry is struggling to find more gold. The industry as a whole spent a record $8 billion in 2011 to explore for gold and yet their successes for gold discoveries are declining drastically. Bloomberg reported that from 1991 to 1999 there were 40 three million oz. or more gold discoveries, yet from 2001 to 2009 there were only ½ that.

5) My Favourite Reason For $2,400 Gold in 2013: The vast majority of analysts consistently forecast too low and are even predicting declining gold prices farther out. But guess what? They've been consistently wrong for 12 years. Meanwhile, breakeven costs continue to rise meaning the price floor keeps rising. And only the richer discoveries can and will be exploited. That's one reason why I expect gold prices to set a new all-time record price high in 2013, of $2,400.

According to Baltin, gold and mining stocks are ready to lead the way to a strong rally, setting the stage for a resumption of the bull market. Their respective securities will follow.